Metal support, more particularly for brassieres and similar uses



Nov. 6, 1956 G. METAL SUP H. TAREAU ET AL PORT, MORE PARTICULARLY FORBRASSIERES AND SIMILAR USES Fil ed April 20, 1954 METAL SUPPORT, MOREPARTICULARLY FOR BRASSIERES AND SIMILAR USES Georges Henri Tareau andLucien Charles Wilhelm, Paris, France Application April 20, 1954, SerialNo. 424,428

Claims priority, application France September 28, 1953 1 Claim. (Cl.2264) The present invention relates to brassieres comprising metalsupports that partially or totally stiffen them. One of the objects ofthe invention-is to produce a new support for brassieres with very greatrigidity, also being exceedingly flexible, which enables it to be snuglyadapted to the shape of the wearers bust without running any risk ofinjuring the person.

Another purpose of the invention is that the support can be fixed insideor to the edges of the brassiere cups, without adding to its thicknessto any material extent which might spoil the appearance of thebrassiere.

According to the invention, the support consists of a flat metal stripwhich is bent and contoured so that it can be fitted inside and/or onthe edges of the brassiere cups, so that the support presses on theusers chest by one of its wide sides.

Various characteristics and advantages of the support according to theinvention will moreover be revealed by the detailed description whichfollows.

Forms of embodiment of the purpose of the invention are shown, by way ofnon-restrictive examples, in the attached drawing.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a brassiere support or frame accordingto the invention.

Figure 2 is a larger scale cross-section taken along the line IIII ofFigure 1.

Fig. 3 shows the brassiere frame provided with breast cups.

The support or brassiere frame shown in the drawing consists of a pieceof steel wire 1 manufactured from a flat metal strip of substantiallyrectangular cross section as is particularly clearly shown in Fig. 2.This strip is bent by rolling so that it assumes the shape of the lowerpart and lateral contours of the two cups of a brassiere provided with asupport. The arrangement is such that one of the wider sides of the flatmetal strip, e. g. side 9 forms the rear surfaces of the metallic framewhile the other one of the wider sides of the flat metal strip, in thisinstance the side 10, forms the'front surface of metallic frame.

The support or frame is provided at its middle part with a segment 2whose width is selected so that it separates the two curved parts 3 and4 of the support or frame by a distance corresponding to the normalspace which ShO Id ite zitates Patent be between brassiere cups. The twoends of the support are connected by any suitable means, for instance bysoldering, to ferrules 5 and 6 whose ends form the eyelets 7 and 8 whichfacilitate the attaching of the support to the fabric of the brassiere.

The support or frame which is bent as explained above and as shown inthe drawings, is also contoured so that it fits as closely as possibleto the brassiere users breasts. As the means for obtaining the contourare well known, they are not described in more detail hereinafter.

The ferrules can be manufactured in various other manners, moreparticularly they can be manufactured of plastic material, their endsbeing pierced or otherwise, or thinned down or shaped according to oneof the usual means.

Furthermore, the support itself, which may be inserted directly into thebrassiere cups, may entirely or partly be covered with a coat or sheathof plasticmaterial.

The fiat support or frame according to the invention is unbreakable, andthere is no necessity to provide a reinforcment in its middle, as wasthe case of round wire supports.

Moreover, this flat support can be given equal solidness and rigiditywith a smaller metal section, thus making it lighter and more flexible.

Lastly, without any projecting stiffener, it is possible to insert thisflat support in a cover or sheath of very delicate fabric, for example,of plaited or woven braid with very fine and nonstretching threads.

The invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment shown anddescribed in detail, but also comprises any modifications within thescope of the appended claim.

We claim:

A substantially rigid arcuate brassiere frame for insertion into the twocups of a brassiere, said frame being made of a single fiat metallicwire of substantially rectangular cross section and comprising twosubstantially semi-circular sections for extending around the bottom andboth side portions of each of said cups and also com prising a spacersection interconnecting said semi-circular sections in spaced andresilient manner to allow resilient bending of said semi-circularsections in a direction toward each other while substantially rigidlysupporting said semi-circular sections against bending in a directionperpendicular to said direction, the wider sides of said flat metallicwire forming the front and rear surfaces of said frame, and the narrowersides of said metallic wire of substantially rectangular cross sectionforming the upper and lower surfaces of said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,013,554 De Benedetto Sept. 3, 1935 2,506,639 Gordon May 9, 19502,508,903 Chaft May 23, 1950 2,527,521 Bloom Oct. 31, 1950 2,559,294Goddard July 31, 1951

